Flying boot



F. G. MANSON ETAL FLYING BooT Filed Aug.A 9; 1941 sept. v14, 11943.

my.. '114k Flai/VK 6. MAA/SN Patented Sept. 14, 1943 2,329,209' FLYING BOUT Frank G. Manson and James J. Maskey,

Dayton, Ohio Application August 9, 1941, Serial No. 406,138

s claims. (ci. :us-9) (Granted under the act of March 3', 1883. as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) an aircraft flying' at high altitudes or through arctic climates.

Our improved boot is constructed of a plurality of layers of fleeced material which layers arefarranged in such a manner as to provide the maximum possible insulation between the foot of lthe wearer and the surrounding atmosphere thus keeping the foot of the wearer warm even at extremely low temperatures. In addition, a means has been provided for Ventilating the inside of the Vboot so as'to aid in keeping the foot dry and hence, improving foot sanitation.

Also a cushioning device has been placed inthe insole of' our boot so as to take up the shock of the foot striking the ground and thus reducing foot fatigue to a minimum. The importance of this feature becomes apparent when the possibility of a forced landing in the desolate wastes of the arctic regions is considered since this would necessitate a journey by foot to the nearest town or village. Accordingly, it is essential that the crew of the aircraft be supplied with footgear which is not only Warm but which is also comfortable and serviceable. Another feature of our boot is the provision of a nonskid outsole, this sole being formed with a plurality of strips of rubber extending the lcngthof the boot. When walkingthese strips will produce a squeegee action upon the wet surfaces of the ice, ground, etc., and so afford a firm and positive foothold on what would otherwise 'be a treacherous surface.

Accordingly one of the objects of our invention is to provide a cold-weather boot constructed in a novel manner of a plurality of laminations of insulating material. i

A more particular object of our invention lies in the provision of a cold-weather boot constructed of a plurality of iieeced laminations, two of the laminations being disposed with their iieeced surfaces facing one another.

A further object of our invention is to provide a boot having a cushioned insole which renders the boot extremely comfortable on the foot of the wearer and makes it possible to walk long distances with a minimum of fatigue. Still a further object of our invention is to provide a boot of the nature described above having a. rubber sole provided with a nonskid tread so as to prevent slipping'when walking on ice or other wet surfaces. y

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in the claims with the understanding that the elements comprising our invention may be varied in construction, proportion, and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of our improved form of boot with the rear part thereof cutaway so as to Show moreclearly the three-layer construction of the upper andxalso the means for Ventilating the interior of the boot.

'in the arctic regions or at high altitudes.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 and shows in detail the multiple-Iayer construction of the boot as well as the -cushion insole and the nonskid rubber outsole.

In the drawing we have shown our invention as embodied in a short boot of the type commonly Worn by the crew members of an aircraft as a protection against the extreme c old encountered This boot is primarily designed for use by the members Vof an airplane crew and is constructed of three layers of a suitable fleece'd material, the peltry of sheep known as Shearling being preferred. As shown in Figure 2, the vamp of the boot is made up of three layers of the material,v two "of the layers I and 2 being disposed with their iieeced surfaces facing .one another and the third, or inside layer 3, being disposed with its fleeced surface turned inward toward the foot of the wearer. The insole is likewise constructed of three layers f a ileeced material, vtwo of the layers 4 Aand 5 being disposed with their eeced surfaces abutting one another and the third layer 6 being disposed with its eeced surface uppermost where it will be in contact with the sole of the wearers foot. It has been found that it is extremely advantageous to dispose two of the layerswith their leeced surfaces in contact as this provides a f dead-air space which hasvery desirable insulating properties. When the layers are thus disposed the abutting ends ofthe pile willfmesh together and thus tend to keep the layers apart and prevent matting and compressing offthe fur which Would result in the elimination of the dead air space which contributes very greatly to insulating qualities of the material. By arranging the third or inner 1ayer of the materiau with the fur portion facing thefoot of the wearer additional warmth and comfort is secured.

The insole is provided with supporting pads .'I, 8 and 9 so as to maintain the separation between the laminations 4 and 5 and also to act as a' cushion for resiliently supporting the weight of the wearer on the bottom of the boot. These pads are preferably made of sponge rubber though any other suitable resilient material may' be used. As shown in Figure l the upper, or leg from `extreme cold by a laminated construction portion of the boot, is also made of three layers of fleeced material arranged in the same manner as the vamp shown in Figure 2. A flexible ventilating tube I0 extends from the bottom of the heel, Where itlies between the layers 4 and 5, up the back of the boot to' nearly the top thereof where it is'brought'out at I I and fastened to the surface of the boot. It will be evident that a.

l I0. By this action, ventilation for the interior of the boot is secured due to the fact that a small quantity of the air will filter through the porous skin or other material used in the layers 5 and 6 and enter the interior of the boot. The tube I0 is, of course, of small dimensions and therefore offers considerable resistance to the passage of air therethrough. Consequently, when the Weight ofthe foot is placed upon the insole, a considerable pressure will be imposed on the air entrapped between the layers Il and 5 and a cer-- Vtain amount of this air will percolate vup through the porous'layers of skin 5 and 6 into the boot. At' the same time a cushioning effect will be secured since the tube I0 will release the entrapped air rather slowly and thus provide an air cushion within the insole.

A strip of rubber Afoxing I2 is cemented in place around the lower part 'of the boot as shown in Figure 1. This foxing is provided on its under edge with ground-gripping serrations I3 and is reinforced overthe toe by a thin layer of rubber I4. AThe' rubber outsole, designated generally at I5, is constructed of a series of longitudinally extending strips of rubber I6 which are joined together along their upper edges to form one con- 'nated insole securely tothe rubber outsole and preventing any relative movement between the two. The outer surface of' the upper part of the boot la consists of the skin or hide portion of p the outer layer of Shearling and may be impregnated with a water-proofing material so as to aid in keeping the interior of the boot warm and dry. The top of thev boot is finished off with a narrow strip ofleather I9 which serves to reinforce thev upper rim of the boot and to prevent it from tearing out. l

It will thus be seen that we have provided a new method of obtaining increased insulation which results in an extremely warm and comfortable boot of a rugged and serviceable nature which will stand up under many miles of walking over rough terrain if this should at any time becomeY necessary. At the same time the boot is light and'is very well suited for use by the crew of an aircraft where a light, warm boot is desired.

While, for the purpose of illustrating the principles of our invention, we have shown and described a specific type of boot, it is to be understood that we do not wish to limit ourselves to this particular form of footwear and that we intend our inventlon to be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim: Y

l. An article of footwearl comprising two laminations of fleeced material disposed with their'fleeced surfaces engaging one another to thereby prevent the fleeced material from becoming crushed and matted and rendered ineffectual as an insulating layer.

2. An article of footwear comprising an upper constructed of two layers of fleeced material disfleeced surface of the outermost layer of said 'disposed with their fleeced surfaces engaging one another and a plurality of resilient, impactabsorbing pads situated between said layers for resiliently supporting the weight of the wearer and for assisting in preventing the fleeced material from becoming crushed and matted.

5. An article of footwear comprising an upper constructed of two layers ofrshearling disposed with their fleeced surfaces engaging one another,

and a `third layer of Shearling having its unlfleeced surface secured to the unfleeced surface of the innermost of said two layers, arubber outer sole secured to the uniieeced surface of the outermost layer of said upper, an inner sole constructed of two layers of Shearling disposed with their fleeced surfaces engaging one another and a third layer of shearling having its unfleeced surface secured to tl1e-unlleeced surface of the uppermost of said two layers of said inner sole, and a plurality of longitudinally extending strips of resilient material situated between said two layers of said inner sole for cushioning the sole of the article of footwear and for assisting in preventing the said two layers of Shearling of the inner sole from becoming crushed and matted.

6. The invention as defined in claim'5 wherein the layers of Shearling of said upper terminate inshouldered and overlapping engagement with the layers and pads of said inner sole so as to effectively seal out the cold fromthe interior of said article of footwear.

FRANK G. MANSON. JAMES J. MASKEY. 

